Myrna Dell (born Marilyn Adele Dunlap; March 5, 1924 – February 11, 2011) was an American actress, model, and writer who appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs over four decades. A Hollywood

glamour girl Glamour photography is a genre of photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensiti ...

in the early part of her career, she is best known today for her work in B-pictures, particularly

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

thrillers and

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

Early life and career

Dell's mother was silent-film actress Carol Price. Dell entered show business when she was 16 as a dancer with the Earl Carroll Revue in New York. Her film debut came in ''

A Night at Earl Carroll's ''A Night at Earl Carroll's'' is a 1940 American musical film directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Lynn Starling. The film stars Ken Murray, Rose Hobart, Elvia Allman, Blanche Stewart, Earl Carroll, J. Carrol Naish, and Lela Moore. The film ...

'' (1940), after which she appeared in '' Ziegfeld Girl'' (1941), '' Raiders of Red Gap'' (1943), and '' Up in Arms'' (1943). She found work at

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

, a "budget" studio specializing in inexpensive entertainments for double-feature theaters. She appeared as an ingenue in a B-western, '' Arizona Whirlwind'' (1944), with silent-screen veterans

Ken Maynard Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western (genre), Western stars in Hollywood. Maynard was also an occa ...

Hoot Gibson Edmund Richard "Hoot" Gibson (August 6, 1892 – August 23, 1962) was an American rodeo champion, film actor, film director, and producer. While acting and stunt work began as a sideline to Gibson's focus on rodeo, he successfully transitioned ...

, and Bob Steele. She signed a contract with

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

in 1944, and followed the path of other RKO starlets: bit parts and chorus-girl appearances in features, then dialogue roles in short subjects starring

Leon Errol Leon Errol (born Leonce Errol Sims, July 3, 1881 – October 12, 1951) was an Australian-American comedian and actor in the United States, popular in the first half of the 20th century for his appearances in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in film ...

Edgar Kennedy Edgar Livingston Kennedy (April 26, 1890 – November 9, 1948) was an American comedic character actor who appeared in at least 500 films during the silent and sound eras. Professionally, he was known as "Slow Burn", owing to his ability to por ...

, and then featured roles in "B" pictures and smaller roles in "A" pictures. Myrna Dell was very prolific at RKO, and many fans know her best from these pictures. Beginning as a showgirl in the

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

Joan Davis Josephine "Joan" Davis (June 29, 1912 – May 23, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy '' I Married Joan'', Davis had a successful ea ...

musical comedy ''

Show Business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...

'' (1944), Dell gradually worked her way up, from a

Zane Grey Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the American frontier ...

western to gradually larger roles in three of the studio's popular

Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...

mysteries with

Tom Conway Tom Conway (born Thomas Charles Sanders; 15 September 1904 – 22 April 1967) was a British film, television, and radio actor. He is remembered for playing suave adventurer The Falcon in a series of 1940s films; and his appearances in three h ...

, and finally becoming established as a hard-boiled glamour girl in

thrillers like ''

Nocturne A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

'' (1946), '' The Locket'' (1946), and '' Destination Murder'' (1950). She once told a reporter that she loathed the glamour-girl image, stating, "After a time... a girl gets bored with the glamour, the atmosphere, the drinking, the cigarettes to smoke, the wolves." Between assignments she returned to the

unit to play dangerous blondes opposite the flustered comic, and would even play incidental walk-ons not calling for any dialogue (she's the nightclub blonde silently kibitzing Tommy Noonan's card game in the 1946 comedy '' Ding Dong Williams''). In 1948 her term contract with RKO ran out, and she began freelancing at other studios. She played sultry blondes for

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

, Columbia,

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

, and Lippert. She occasionally returned to RKO and Monogram; her last major role in motion pictures was as the ''femme fatale'' in Monogram's Bowery Boys comedy '' Here Come the Marines'' (1952). With roles in feature films becoming fewer, Dell turned to television in 1952 for the '' China Smith'' series. She went on to appear on such programs as ''

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'', ''

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'', ''Crusader'', '' Dragnet'', '' The Ethel Barrymore Theatre'', '' Maverick'', ''

Pete and Gladys ''Pete and Gladys'' is an American television sitcom starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS every Monday at 8:00 pm Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was broad ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

'', ''

Hazel Hazels are plants of the genus ''Corylus'' of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family, Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K ...

'', ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her Pediatrics, pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage childr ...

'', and '' The Texan''. Her last film appearance was in '' Buddy Buddy'' (1981) In her later years, she worked as a writer for ''Hollywood: Then and Now'' Magazine in which she shared countless stories about her days as an actress and thanking such figures as

Jack L. Warner Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-born American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's ca ...

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1884Mayer maintained that he was born in Minsk on July 4, 1885. According to Scott Eyman, the reasons may have been: * Mayer's father gave different dates for his birthplace at different times, so ...

, and

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (; born Szmuel Gelbfisz; ; July 1879 (most likely; claimed to be August 27, 1882) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer and pioneer in the American film industry, who produce ...

for their contributions to the film industry.

Personal life

On June 15, 1951, Dell married Jack Buchtel, a restaurateur. They divorced a year later. In 1956, she married Herbert Patterson, an actor. A California resident all her life, Dell continued living in the state by spending her final years in

Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 1 ...

, answering fan mail and keeping her fans up to date through her personal website. She died from natural causes on February 11, 2011, at her studio apartment one month shy of her 87th birthday. She was survived by one daughter, Laura Patterson, who spread her ashes next to the Hollywood Sign. Her granddaughter is Ava Capri, an actress.

Filmography

*1940: ''

'' - Showgirl (uncredited) *1941: '' Ziegfeld Girl'' - Ziegfeld Girl (uncredited) *1943: '' Raiders of Red Gap'' - Jane Roberts *1943: '' In Old Oklahoma'' - Blonde (uncredited) *1943: '' Jive Junction'' - Senior Hostess (uncredited) *1943: '' Raiders of Red Gap'' - Jane Roberts *1944: '' Up in Arms'' - Goldwyn Girl (uncredited) *1944: '' Arizona Whirlwind'' - Ruth Hampton *1944: ''

'' - Showgirl (uncredited) *1944: ''

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, Ame ...

'' - Girl in Officers' Club (uncredited) *1944: '' Belle of the Yukon'' - Chorine (uncredited) *1945: '' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' - Gambler's Girl (uncredited) *1945: '' The Falcon in San Francisco'' - Beautiful Girl in Hotel Hall (uncredited) *1945: '' Radio Stars on Parade'' - Phil's Secretary (uncredited) *1945: '' Double Honeymoon'' (Short) - Newlywed Wife *1945: ''

It's Your Move ''It's Your Move'' is an American sitcom television series created by Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye, starring Jason Bateman, Tricia Cast, Caren Kaye, Ernie Sabella, David Garrison, Adam Sadowsky, and Garrett Morris. The show originally aired ...

'' (Short) - Neighbor (uncredited) *1945: '' Beware of Redheads'' (Short) - Gloria Richards, the Redhead *1945: '' Man Alive'' - River Boat Captain's Daughter (uncredited) *1946: '' Maid Trouble'' (Short) *1946: '' The Spiral Staircase'' - Murder Victim (uncredited) *1946: '' Oh, Professor Behave!'' (Short) *1946: '' The Falcon's Alibi'' - Falcon's Dancing Partner (uncredited) *1946: '' Ding Dong Williams'' - Club Creon Blonde (uncredited) *1946: '' Twin Husbands'' (Short) - Miss Ward *1946: '' I'll Take Milk'' (Short) - Barbara *1946: '' Step by Step'' - Gretchen *1946: ''

'' - Susan *1946: '' Lady Luck'' - Mabel (uncredited) *1946: '' Vacation in Reno'' - Madeleine Dumont *1946: '' The Falcon's Adventure'' - Doris Blanding *1946: '' The Locket'' - Thelma *1948: '' The Judge Steps Out'' - Mrs. Joan Winthrop *1948: '' Fighting Father Dunne'' - Paula Hendricks *1948: '' Guns of Hate'' - Dixie Merritt *1948: '' The Uninvited Blonde'' (Short) - Lulu, The Uninvited Blonde *1949: ''

Rose of the Yukon ''Rose of the Yukon'' is a 1949 American adventure film directed by George Blair and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Steve Brodie, Myrna Dell, William Wright, Emory Parnell, Jonathan Hale and Benny Baker. The film was released on Ja ...

'' - Rose Flambeau *1949: '' Search for Danger'' - Wilma Rogers *1949: '' The Lost Tribe'' - Norina *1949: '' Roughshod'' - Helen Carter *1949: '' Lust for Gold'' - Lucille (uncredited) *1949: '' The Girl from Jones Beach'' - Lorraine Scott *1949: '' The Gal Who Took the West'' - Nancy *1950: '' Radar Secret Service'' - Marge *1950: '' Destination Murder'' - Alice Wentworth *1950: '' The Furies'' - Dallas Hart *1950: '' Joe Palooka in the Squared Circle'' - Sandra Reed *1951: '' Never Trust a Gambler'' - Dolores Alden *1951: '' Secrets of Beauty'' - Kay Joyce *1951: ''

The Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...

'' - Paulette Ardrey *1951: '' The Bushwhackers'' - Norah Taylor *1951: '' Reunion in Reno'' - Mrs. Virginia Mason *1952: ''

'' (TV Series) - Norma Breighlee / Officer Jone Perlie *1952: '' Here Come the Marines'' - Lulu Mae *1952: '' China Smith'' (TV Series) - 'Empress' Shira *1953: '' Mr. & Mrs. North'' (TV Series) - Fifi LaMer *1954: ''

'' (TV Series) - Cynthia *1954: '' The New Adventures of China Smith'' (TV Series) *1955: '' Night Freight'' - Sally *1955: '' Toughest Man Alive'' - Nancy *1955: '' Last of the Desperados'' - Clara Wightman *1956: '' Jungle Jim'' (TV Series) - Mickey Worth *1956: ''Crusader'' (TV Series) - Julie *1956: '' The Naked Hills'' - Aggie *1956: '' Ethel Barrymore Theater'' (TV Series) *1956: '' Dragnet'' (TV Series) *1956: '' The Millionaire'' (TV Series) - Helen *1953-1957: '' Schlitz Playhouse'' (TV Series) - Mae Holmes / Sally *1957: '' State Trooper'' (TV Series) - Carol Smith *1957: ''

The Adventures of Jim Bowie ''The Adventures of Jim Bowie'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1956 in television, 1956 to 1958 in television, 1958. Its setting was the 1830s-era Louisiana T ...

'' (TV Series) - Helen Harris *1958: '' Maverick'' (TV Series) - Anita *1959: '' U.S. Marshal'' (TV Series) *1959: '' The Texan'' (TV Series) - Miss Delly *1960: ''

Ma Barker's Killer Brood ''Ma Barker's Killer Brood'' is a 1960 American neo noir crime film, released in 1960. The low-budget film was directed by Bill Karn and starred Lurene Tuttle as the title character, Ma Barker. The film is a highly fictionalized account of the ...

'' - Lou *1961: ''

'' - Mrs. Wingfield *1963: ''

'' (TV Series) - Saleswoman *1963: ''

'' (TV Series) - Receptionist *1966: ''

'' (TV Series) - Pedestrian *1978: '' The One Man Jury'' - Landlady *1981: '' Buddy Buddy'' - Cashier (final film role) *1990: ''

Unsolved Mysteries ''Unsolved Mysteries'' is an American mystery documentary television series, created by John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer. Documenting cold cases and paranormal phenomena, it began as a series of seven specials, presented by Raymond Burr, Kar ...

'' (TV Series) - Myrna Patterson

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dell, Myrna 1924 births 2011 deaths Actresses from Los Angeles American film actresses American television actresses Writers from Los Angeles American memoirists Western (genre) film actresses Western (genre) television actors American female dancers American dancers 20th-century American actresses American women memoirists People from Studio City, Los Angeles 20th-century American women 21st-century American women